Booni, Oct 7, 2025: Additional District and Sessions Judge of Upper Chitral Abdul Wahab Qureshi has rejected the post-arrest bail application of Muhammad Junaid in the Shehla Yaqoob death case.
The bail petition was heard in the presence of Mr. Fazal Mabood, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) for the State, who was assisted by Advocate Gul Murad, the private counsel for the complainant. The accused/petitioner Muhammad Junaid was represented by Advocate Siraj Ali Khan.
After the court heard detailed arguments from both sides and examined the record, the judge announced the rejection of the bail plea.
The accused had sought bail in FIR No. 59 dated August 21, 2025, registered at Police Station Mulkhow, Upper Chitral, under Sections 322, 506, 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 25(d) of the Telegraph Act.
The complainant, Muhammad Yaqoob Shah, in his supplementary statement dated August 27, 2025, had accused Muhammad Junaid of kidnapping and murdering his daughter Shehla Yaqoob. Consequently, Sections 365-B and 302 PPC were initially incorporated in the case.
However, during the investigation, it was revealed that Shehla had allegedly committed suicide as a result of the accused’s unlawful actions, leading investigators to revise the charges and proceed under the amended sections of the law.
The court order details that the accused/petitioner had allegedly been involved in a romantic relationship with the deceased. However, Shehla later married another man, which reportedly prompted the accused to begin blackmailing her and her family members.
According to the prosecution, Junaid allegedly issued telephonic threats, threatening to make private pictures public that had been jointly taken during their relationship. He is further accused of sending those pictures to Shehla’s husband, Asif Mehmood, thereby intensifying the pressure on the deceased.
The prosecution presented substantial evidence in court, including the said pictures, threatening messages, statements from family members of the deceased, as well as statements from her husband and mother-in-law.
Additionally, Call Data Records (CDR) of various mobile SIMs were submitted, which, according to the court, prima facie connect the accused/petitioner with the commission of the alleged offence.
After thoroughly perusing the record and evidence, the court concluded that sufficient material existed against the accused. In view of the gravity of the allegations, the available evidence, and the nature of the offence, the bail petition was dismissed by the learned judge.